


The Goodnight Kiss

by Lelila15



Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: M/M, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Consensual Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:34:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23440021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lelila15/pseuds/Lelila15
Summary: During a  routine arrest, a Division One Enforcer gets lured into a dangerous situation, forcing the other members of the team to go in after him.  What ensues will bring certain things to light, possibly changing the dynamics between two of the Division’s Enforcers forever.
Comments: 32
Kudos: 44





	1. The Club

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the new movie and the mandated quarantine, I've been inspired to finally post this story. More chapters will follow, and each one will be told from a different character's perspective. Enjoy!

The abolition block’s nightlife slowly started to come to life after the setting of the sun. Once the rain had died down, people dressed provocatively began to swarm the streets, making their way to meet up with friends before participating in questionable activities. One such activity is why one of the PSB’s paddy wagons is cloaked by holos down a narrow dead-end alley. Parked next to it, hidden from view of the street, is an undercover police vehicle. A young woman sits behind the wheel, speaking to the Enforcers under her charge still contained within the paddy wagon.

“The suspect’s name is Nakamura Reo,” Inspector Shimotsuki Mika says to the three Enforcers contained within the wagon. Each of them is viewing her image through his or her wrist comm. 

Shimotsuki continues. “He’s wanted on suspicion of drugging and assaulting four adult males. All of the victims do not remember their attack but woke up with a substantial headache and visible evidence of assault. Each of them was picked up by a man matching Nakamura’s description at this exact location.” 

Karanomori Shion, the team’s Analyst, appears on the wagon’s computer screen hovering above the benches the Enforcers are seated on. She picks up where Shimotsuki left off. “According to our data, cameras captured him entering this club less than an hour ago. He must be utilizing suppressants as none of the psymatic scanners detected an elevated psycho-pass.” They can see the tops of her arms moving as she enters in a few commands. 

“This is the club’s layout.” A floorplan of the club replaces her image on the screen. “The main entrance faces the street. However, the club itself is three floors underground. You have to take a stairway down, as the club is not accessible by elevator.” The image on the screen follows her words. “Once inside, there are two emergency exits, both near the restrooms located in a corridor at the back of the club.”

She pauses to inhale a drag from her cigarette. “If you take the stairwell on the west side, you’ll come up on the other side of this building. Be sure to take the east side stairwell, which will bring you out right here.” Shion brings up the paddy wagon’s exterior camera to show the Enforcers inside the metal door they are parked next to.

Former Inspector Ginoza Nobuchika nods in acknowledgement. “The goal is to get Nakamura out through here as quietly as possible to avoid inciting a panic. If they know we are inside, it will raise the area stress level and possibly cause people to get injured if they decide to run.”

Enforcer Yayoi Kunizuka speaks up. “That will be difficult if we all go in. These people are wary of the PSB to begin with,” she states knowingly. She herself had been to this block several times before being declared a latent criminal. 

“So how are we supposed to lure him out before he harms someone else?” Enforcer Sugou Teppei asks. “Karanomori, can you bring up pictures of all of the victims?”

“One sec,” she answers. Within a matter of seconds, four profile pictures appear on the screen. “The victims’ ages range from twenty-four to thirty-two. All are similar in height, build and…” here she pauses.

“What is it?” Shimotsuki says over the comms. 

Shion exhales a puff of smoke before continuing. “He has a type. All four victims have some sort of tech enhancement, such as cybernetic eyes, an artificial leg or-“

“-or a bionic arm,” Gino offers as he gets to his feet. He removes his trench coat as he says, “I’ll go in alone to lure him out. All of you should stay here and provide backup from the outside.”

Sugou shoots to his feet. “That’s much too dangerous. One of us should go with you, in case-“

Gino raises his hand to stop him. A gentle smile graces his lips as he says, “I’ll be fine, Sugou. It’s a fairly routine arrest. Plus, you’ll be able to monitor my every move from here.” 

That doesn’t satisfy Sugou. “But what if something goes wrong? One of us should go with you.” 

Gino shakes his head. “You saw the layout. This place is small. Having two of us inside would be too obvious,” he says as he removes his lone glove. “The goal is to do this as discreetly as possible.”

“And to not get drugged,” Kunizuka says calmly. 

Gino grins down at her. “Right.” As he removes his jacket, followed by his tie, he says to her, “You still wear a black tank top under your suit?”

Kunizuka gets stoically to her feet and begins to undress. Shimotsuki’s voice comes over the comms once again. “Don’t take this lightly, Enforcer Ginoza. We still don’t have confirmation on how he’s drugging his victims.” 

“Understood,” Gino removes his hair tie, his long locks falling to his shoulders. He runs his organic hand through his hair once, then tosses his coat to Sugou. “Be a gentleman, will you? Hold this up as a curtain for Kunizuka to undress behind.” 

“Don’t bother,” Yayoi says, standing in her black tank top. She pulls the garment over her head and hands it to Gino. She stands unashamedly in the center of the paddy wagon in a dark blue bra and dress pants. 

Sugou averts his eyes respectfully. Gino pulls the tank top over his head. Once it’s in place, he looks to the group. “How’s it look?” 

“Small,” Yayoi answers him as she reaches for her shirt, “and stretched.” 

Sugou lifts his eyes. He can’t help but to agree with Kunizuka’s statement. Her tank top was indeed stretched over Gino’s muscular chest, showing off his sculpted pecs and arms. The tank top only covers half of his stomach, revealing well-defined abs. Sugou feels his face flush.

Gino smiles and says, “I’ll get you a new one.”

“What about your pants and shoes?” Kunizuka asks, fully dressed once again. She takes a seat and says, “They don’t meet the criteria of what you’ll see once you get in there.” 

“Trust me, Yayoi,” Shion answers, “with Gino looking like that, no one is going to be paying any attention to his shoes.” She whistles suggestively.

Gino chuckles softly. He activates a side panel in the wagon, which contains a tiny earpiece, lapel camera and microphone, all of which will remain undetected as long as no one looks too closely. He checks their connectivity before he asks Inspector Shimotsuki to unlock his wrist comm so he can leave it in the wagon. 

“And give you a chance to run?” She barks through the screen. “Not a chance, Enforcer!”

Gino doesn’t even flinch. “I understand, Inspector, but everyone will know what I am if I walk in with this. We’ll miss our opportunity to apprehend Nakamura.” 

“Please, Shimotsuki,” Yayoi says as she gets to her feet for a second time, “we don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

Mika huffs loudly. “Fine.” She enters a command and Gino catches the comm as it unlocks from around his wrist. “But I’ll be watching your every move, Enforcer Ginoza. If I see you even _think_ about running I will shoot you. Understand?”

Gino smirks despite her anger. “Fully.” 

“Wait a second,” Sugou says. All eyes turn towards him. “If you do get into trouble but can’t say it outright, we should have a phrase you can use to let us know something’s wrong.” 

“Hmm, you mean like a safe-word?” Shion asks teasingly. 

Sugou shrugs, blushing yet again. “Yeah, something like that.” 

Shion stubs out her cigarette in a nearby ashtray. “How about ‘hot in here.’ Shouldn’t be too hard to work that into conversation in case things start to go south, Gino.” 

Gino nods his head in affirmation. “Agreed.” With one last check of his equipment, he states calmly, “I’m ready.” 

The doors to the paddy wagon slide open. He exits the vehicle and makes his way straight towards the street. No one seems to notice as he exits the alleyway and hops in the line that has started to form outside of the club. 

Gino makes his way down the stairs to the main area of the club. He feels before he hears the thudding of the music within the walls of the narrow stairwell. When he reaches the bottom, he walks through a holo doorway. Gino is immediately greeted by the music booming full volume in a dimly lit room, nearly full of bodies, most of which are dancing along to the beat of the blaring music. The few who aren’t dancing are congregated to his left in front of the club’s bar. 

Gino makes his way over, his eyes expertly scanning the crowd, looking for Nakamura. He knows predators like Nakamura will be alone, so he looks for any men standing off by themselves. He spots a few, but none of them match Nakamura’s description. 

When he gets to the bar, he flags down the bartender. When the glass of whiskey he orders is placed in front of him, he hears Shimotsuki screech in his ear, _“You better not use this as an excuse to drink, Enforcer! You’re on duty._ _”_ Gino hides his grin behind the glass as he takes a sip.

He’s halfway through his drink when he spots a man meeting Nakamura’s description come out of the back corridor where the stairwells are located and approach the bar. He’s about Gino’s height, looks to be in his mid-thirties, with wavy, dark brown hair about an inch shorter than his own. Gino raises his glass once again to hide his lips. “I found him,” he says discreetly into his microphone, “Shion, can you confirm it’s Nakamura? He’s three people down to my right.”

 _“Got him.”_ There’s a brief pause before he hears her voice again. _“Identity confirmed. Now you just need to get his attention.”_

“Copy,” he says before he downs the rest of his drink in one go. “Damn, that’s good!” He says loudly, hoping to get Nakamura’s attention. He slams his empty glass down on top of the bar. It works when he sees Nakamura glance in his direction. “Bartender, get me another!” 

He can feel several sets of eyes on him because of his outburst, but he focuses his gaze on Nakamura. Their eyes lock, and Gino smiles at him drunkenly. He’s not even tipsy, having built a tolerance for alcohol over the years, but he’s hoping he can pass for drunk enough to lure Nakamura over to him. 

Without breaking eye contact, Gino turns his back to the bar, bringing his bionic arm into view. He notices Nakamura’s eyes open widely once he sees it. Gino breaks eye contact to look out at the crowd, his head bobbing along with the music. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Nakamura make his way over to him. 

He doesn’t have long to wait before he’s approached. Only it’s not Nakamura who approaches him; he is intercepted by another man, who is clearly intoxicated. “Hey, man!” He hollers at Gino more loudly than necessary over the music, “You’re really pretty. Wanna dance?” 

Nakamura is standing right behind this man, who’s short enough Gino is able to make eye-contact with him over his head. “You know what,” he says as he puts his hand on the drunk man’s shoulder to move him out of the way, “I don’t think my _boyfriend_ would like that too much. Would you, babe?” 

Gino had moved around the man and pressed himself up against Nakamura’s side, wrapping his arm around his waist. Nakamura plays along and throws his arm across Gino’s shoulders. “Sure wouldn’t, babe, “ he says, his eyes raking over Gino’s whole frame, “you’re all mine tonight.” 

Gino manages to hide his disgust behind a drunken chuckle. Nakamura pats the drunk man’s shoulder a few times, subtly pushing him back out into the crowd. Gino reaches for the new drink the bartender sets in front of them. “Thanks,” he says, bringing the glass to his lips, “I owe you one.” 

“Happy to help,” Nakamura says, grinning at him lasciviously. He watches as Gino takes a long swig from his drink. “I’m Nakamura,” he says when Gino puts his drink back on the bar. 

Gino wipes his mouth. “Ginoza,” he answers, swaying lightly on his feet and further into Nakamura’s side. 

“That guy was right about one thing, Ginoza,” Nakamura says, leaning in close to Gino’s ear, “you really are quite pretty.”

He goes to lean away, but Gino places his real hand on the back of Nakamura’s neck, pulling him in close again. Gino places his lips next to his ear, brushing them against the shell of it when he speaks, “You’re not too bad yourself. Nakamura.” He feels him shiver through his fingertips. Gino leans back, reaching for his drink, but Nakamura gets to it first. 

He brings it to his lips. “You mind?” He asks, and Gino shakes his head. Nakamura takes a sip, then hands it back to Gino, turning it in his hands, so the side he just drank out of is now facing Gino. “I admire a man who appreciates a good whiskey.” 

_So that’s how he does it_ , Gino thinks to himself. Gino places the glass back on the bar without taking a drink. He notices Nakamura’s lips tighten, but Gino focuses his attention back on him by looping his arms around his neck. “Is it really my whiskey choice you admire…” Gino presses his body up against Nakamura’s own, “or is there something else about me you admire more?” Gino licks his lips, poking his tongue out to moisten them suggestively. 

Nakamura’s eyes dilate. He takes the bait and says in a hushed tone, “You want to get out of here?” 

Gino smiles alluringly. “You have no idea.” It’s the most honest he’s been since entering the club.

Nakamura takes his bionic hand, then turns to make his way towards the back corridor. Through his earpiece, he hears Shimotsuki order Sugou and Kunizuka to get ready.

Nakamura leads him to the west stairwell. Gino almost gives away how sober he actually is before he catches himself. “Wait, wait,” he says as he tugs on Nakamura’s hand. He manages to plaster a goofy grin on when Nakamura turns to face him. “We should go that way,” he slurs, pointing to the other end of the corridor. 

“Why?” 

Thinking quickly, Gino replies, “Because my car’s parked on that side,” he answers as he gestures towards the east stairwell. “We’ll put it in self-drive mode while we have some fun. What do ya say?”

Nakamura seems to consider this before shaking his head. “I got a better idea. Follow me.” He pulls Gino again in the direction of the west side exit. He hears Shimotsuki curse and tells the Enforcers they need to get to Gino’s location, but to be as discreet as possible. 

Nakamura pushes open the door to the stairwell. He wrenches Gino into the narrow corridor with more force than necessary, causing Gino to stumble. Once the door slams shut, he has Gino’s back up against it. Before Gino can voice a protest, Nakamura’s lips are against his, his tongue invading his mouth. _Oh, no_ , Gino thinks as he feels a lead weight drop into the pit of his stomach. 

He works his mouth free of Nakamura’s, who places his lips against his jaw, his hands groping across his hips and along his sides. Gino manages to grit out, “A bit impatient, aren’t you?” He says as he tries to push him back weakly. 

“Yes,” Nakamura says between forceful kisses and rough scrapes of his teeth against the delicate skin of Gino’s neck and collarbones. “I need to have you. Now.” 

“Here?” Gino manages to say, already feeling his head getting foggy, “it’s too hot in here, don’t you think?”

 _“He’s in trouble!”_ Gino hears Sugou shout over his earpiece. _“Hold on, Gino, we’re almost there!”_

“Don’t worry, Ginoza,” Nakamura says as he leans back from him. Gino’s vision blurs. He tries to bring him back into focus when he feels Nakamura grip his jaw firmly in one hand. From what sounds like a great distance away, Gino hears Nakamura say, “I’m going to take _real_ good care of you,” before everything goes black. 


	2. The Rescue

Sugou watches Gino until he is out of sight. He sits down with a sigh as the doors to the paddy wagon close. 

Kunizuka takes a seat a few feet away from him. “He’ll be fine,” she says, pulling up her screen so she can observe Gino’s movements. 

Sugou looks up, as if just now remembering she was still there. “I know,” he says, clearing his throat. He activates his own screen. “I’m just concerned for a colleague’s well-being. That’s all.” Kunizuka looks at him out of the corner of her eye. She doesn’t say anything before turning her attention back towards her screen. 

Sugou has a bad feeling about this. He watches Gino’s every movement through the club’s camera system, courtesy of Karanomori’s skill with computers. When he would lose sight of him, he switched to the concealed camera Gino was wearing, his senses on high alert not only for Nakamura, but any potential dangers Gino might encounter. 

He was fully against the idea of Gino being in there alone. He reasons it comes from his military training, where no man went into hostile territory without some form of backup. Sugou has to remind himself this is a nightclub, not a warzone. He wanted to argue his point further, but due to his military background, where he was trained to always follow the chain of command, he deferred the final decision to Kunizuka and Ginoza, since they were the more experienced members of the team. 

Sugou follows Gino with his eyes as he makes his way to the bar. He can’t help but notice how he moves just like his father did. He wonders for a moment if Gino knows how much like him he turned out to be.

He also notices how attractive Gino looks. He’s only ever seen Gino with his hair down once while they were both in the gym, but that was over a year ago. It’s gotten much longer since then. Gino is so good-looking, he stands out among the other patrons, and with his bionic arm on full display, Nakamura is sure to notice him quickly. 

Sure enough, not ten minutes later, he spots Nakamura in the crowd a second after Gino does. “ _Found him_ ,” he hears his voice over the comm before Sugou gets a chance to say anything. Shion verifies his identity as Sugou maintains his laser focus on Gino.

He watches as Gino expertly hides his reason for being there behind a fake drunken state. He knows Gino likes his whiskey and has become familiar with what it feels like to be intoxicated. Knowing he was still sober, Sugou couldn’t help but to admire how well he pulls it off. 

His eyes flick over to Nakamura when he approaches, only to be cut off by a drunk patron trying to hit on Gino. Sugou feels a small burst of jealousy in his chest when he mentions how pretty Gino is. Sugou doesn’t give himself a moment to think where that may have come from, refusing to get distracted. He tells himself he’s just worried, nothing else. 

And his worry only gets worse, along with his jealousy, when he notices how much of an interest Nakamura seems to have in Gino after they manage to chase the drunk man away. He knows that was the point of all of this, but that doesn’t make him feel any better about this whole situation. 

He subconsciously leans forward in his seat, clenching his teeth so hard his jaw begins to ache. _If this man does anything to hurt him…_

“Sugou,” a calming voice speaks from beside him, “relax. Ginoza knows what he’s doing. Just be ready to move.”

Sugou sits back, unclenching his teeth. He nods to show he’s heard Kunizuka but doesn’t pull his eyes away from his screen. 

He listens to their conversation over his own earpiece, swallowing a bitter taste on his tongue. Sugou can’t help but wonder how Gino is able to keep a straight face. He can only imagine the amount of disgust Gino must feel at having that man’s hands on him.

“Get ready,” Shimotsuki says over the intercom. Both Kunizuka and Sugou get to their feet simultaneously as the doors to the wagon slide open. Once the ramp is down, they retrieve their Dominators. 

Within moments, Nakamura is yanking Gino towards the back of the club. Sugou pulls up the camera hidden on Gino’s body. He can see from Gino’s perspective as he halts Nakamura’s movements, trying to get him to come out the stairwell they are on the other side of. 

It doesn’t work. 

Sugou’s breath catches in his throat at the same time Shimotsuki’s voice comes through his earpiece, “Shit, he’s taking him out the other side. Yayoi, Sugou, get to them as quickly and discreetly as possible.” 

But Sugou is already moving before she had even stopped talking. He leaves Kunizuka behind as he makes his way around to the other side of the building. 

He’s moving fast, while trying not to draw too much attention to himself. All he can think about is getting to Ginoza before Nakamura has a chance to do anything to him. 

Sugou hears what can only be the sound of kissing come over the comm. Recognizing what it is causes him to lose his footing for a few steps. He’s at the mouth of the alley where the west stairwell is when he hears Gino’s muffled voice, “ _It’s too hot in here, don’t you think?_ ”

Sugou gasps. “He’s in trouble!” He yells into his wrist comm as he runs full speed for the metal door. He flings it open so hard it ricochets against the brick wall with a loud bang. “Hold on, Gino, we’re almost there!”

He descends the darkened stairway, raising his Dominator. He has to use the Sybil System’s judgement screen to be able to see in the dark as he hurries down the stairs as fast as he can. He feels his heart jump into his throat at the thought of Gino being in danger. _Hold on, Gino, hold on…_

He sees them just as Gino slides lifelessly to the floor. Nakamura catches him and places his body against the wall, so he is no longer blocking the door. Sugou raises his weapon as he shouts from above, “Freeze, Nakamura!” He has his Dominator locked on Nakamura’s forehead. “Step away from him and put your hands above your head!” 

Nakamura makes eye contact with Sugou. He slowly raises himself back to his full height as he puts his hands up. Sugou wants to shoot him but has to wait for the Dominator to calculate his crime coefficient. 

It registers at 93. “Shit!” Sugou hisses, lowering his gun. Nakamura smiles knowingly at him, then quickly turns to open the door.

“Don’t move!” Sugou shouts, skipping steps on his way down to stop Nakamura from getting away. Nakamura wrenches the door open. Sugou hears a distinct crack that sounds like a fist impacting a human face. 

Nakamura falls back to land on his side next to Gino, who is still lying lifeless on the floor. Nakamura clutches both hands over his nose. Sugou reaches Gino and hears Nakamura say, “You broke my nose, you hateful bitch!” 

Sugou looks up to see Kunizuka standing there, her Dominator pointed at Nakamura’s writhing body as she steps into the stairway. She seems totally unfazed by having just dropped Nakamura with a single hit and his spiteful words towards her. “He told you not to move,” Kunizuka says calmly. 

But Sugou doesn’t hear her speak, his attention focusing solely on Ginoza. He is sitting up but slumped over, clearly unconscious, his hands lying limp at his sides. Sugou feels his eyes widen in alarm. “Ginoza!” He calls, placing his Dominator on the ground. He uses both hands to push Gino’s shoulders back against the wall, then takes Gino’s face into his sweaty hands. “Can you hear me? Ginoza? Ginoza!” He feels himself becoming frantic, fearing the worst. _Oh, God, what if I’m too late?_

“-ugou! Sugou!” A voice from behind him finally gets his attention. “Enforcer Sugou! If you don’t let him go right now, you’ll be the second person I shoot with this Dominator tonight.” 

Sugou feels a pair of hands gently grip his left forearm. That’s when he finally hears Kunizuka’s calming voice over his panic, “He’s all right, Sugou, he’s just unconscious. You can let go now. Sugou, he’s going to be all right. We got to him in time. You can relax now. Everything’s fine.” 

Yayoi has to repeat her words a few more times before they finally register. Sugou takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly before he’s able to sit back from Gino’s still unconscious form. She remains a steady, reassuring presence at his side. 

“Sugou,” Yayoi continues. He can hear Inspector Shimotsuki speaking in the background, but he can’t tell what she is saying. “I need your help. We need to get Gino and Nakamura out of here before anyone sees us. Can you help us move them? It’ll be faster if we can carry them out of here. Can you help me do that?” She pauses, giving Sugou time to absorb her words.

After a moment, Sugou is able to register what Kunizuka just asked of him. He holds a breath for a brief moment before he exhales it forcefully. “Yeah,” he says, coming back to himself, “yeah, I can do that.” 

Sugou learns Shimotsuki called for a Med Vac. He can see the flashing lights at the top of the stairs. He knows the drones will have the surrounding area blocked off. 

He hates the idea of leaving Gino behind, but they need to get Nakamura secured into the paddy wagon first. With Kunizuka here, he knows he is leaving Gino in good hands.

He grabs Nakamura’s paralyzed body, taking a moment to appreciate Yayoi’s handiwork. By the amount of blood he sees coating his hands and face, she most certainly did break his nose. 

With one last look at Gino’s limp form on the ground, Sugou lifts Nakamura’s body over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry. He proceeds up the stairs as fast as his legs will allow. He’s shaking by the time he deposits Nakamura’s body on a gurney for the drones to take away. Whether he’s shaking from the physical exertion or the emotional turmoil, he’s not sure.

Sugou turns around just in time to see Inspector Shimotsuki come out of the stairwell. She steps aside as two medical drones, along with an empty gurney, make their way into the stairwell to retrieve Gino. Sugou is right behind them when he’s stopped by her hand pushing against his shoulder. “You are to stay here, Sugou,” she says, “you’ve done enough for one night.” 

Sugou feels a touch of defiance. “But, Inspector-“

“That’s an order, Enforcer,” she says crossing her arms over her chest, “you may accompany him in the ambulance back to HQ. Enforcer Kunizuka and I will handle the rest here.” 

She must notice his grateful look. Her eyes harden. “But that’s no excuse to slack off, Enforcer. I expect a fully detailed report of what happened on my desk first thing tomorrow morning. You got that?” 

Sugou feels a small, appreciative smile turn up the corners of his lips. “Thank you, Inspector Shimotsuki.” 

She shoots him one final glare before turning back to her crime scene. 


	3. The Infirmary

Inspector Akane Tsunemori is on her way to the CID’s Infirmary. She’s in the elevator, going over her fellow Inspector’s report that led to the arrest of one Nakamura Reo. He was currently being held in Interrogation, waiting for transport to the Isolation Facility. 

Shimotsuki’s team was able to apprehend Nakamura before he had a chance to assault another innocent victim. The few people in and around the club who experienced an elevated stress level received minimal care and were released. Overall, the mission was a success.

Except for what happened to Mr. Ginoza. He should be waking up any minute now from the substance Nakamura drugged him with, no worse for wear. This time tomorrow he will be released to full duty. Knowing him, though, he will try to disregard that advice and insist he finish the remainder of his shift. She wants to be there when he wakes up to make sure he rests. 

What concerns Akane is what Inspector Shimotsuki had to say about Mr. Sugou’s reaction to what happened. She would very much like to learn more, but she needs to do so in-person to gauge his responses. When she asked about Sugou’s whereabouts, medical personnel informed her Sugou had yet to leave Gino’s side since he arrived via ambulance over three hours ago. 

Akane exits the elevator and makes her way to the room Gino is in during his recovery. The first thing she sees is Gino lying comfortably on a reclined hospital bed, his hair draped loosely across the pillow supporting his head. If he wasn’t hooked up to an IV and heart monitor, he would look as if he was simply sleeping.

She then notices Sugou, who is sitting in a chair next to Gino’s bed. She can tell by the position of his back he is leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. He’s within arm’s length of the bed, and if he were to reach out, he would be able to touch Gino’s hand. Akane has a feeling this is by design, not by accident.

Akane is able to get right next to Sugou before he even notices she’s in the room. She catches a glimpse of him gnawing on a knuckle of his index finger as he stares at Gino’s peaceful face. 

At last, he spots her out of his periphery vision and in the next instant, he’s on his feet. “Inspector Tsunemori,” he exclaims while keeping his voice low, “forgive me, I didn’t hear you come in.” 

She raises her hand. “It’s fine, Mr. Sugou,” she says calmly, offering him a soft smile, “I heard what happened. I came to check on Mr. Ginoza, and to ask if you were all right.” 

“M-Me?” Sugou stutters as he takes his seat again, “Why are you asking about me? I wasn’t the one who was drugged and almost attacked by that…that…” Akane watches as Sugou’s anger flares at the thought of what Nakamura would have done had he not been there to stop him.

Akane takes the seat across from Sugou with Ginoza’s slumbering form between them. She continues to watch Sugou as he reels in his sudden anger in silence, the only sound in the room the rhythmic beeping of Ginoza’s heart monitor. As she observes him, she can tell he has to stop himself from reaching for Ginoza’s hand and instead runs his through his own hair. 

“Mr. Sugou, may I ask you something?” When he looks at her, she inquires further. “What has you so upset?” 

He’s silent for a brief moment, before turning his gaze back to Ginoza. “What do you mean, Inspector?” 

She folds her hands in her lap as she crosses her ankles. “Are you upset that Nakamura was able to drug another person? Or are you upset that the person he drugged was Ginoza?” 

Sugou sighs, again running a hand through his hair. “Truth be told, Inspector, I’m not sure,” he answers. “I knew him going in there alone was a bad idea. I just knew it. I keep thinking if only I’d gone in there, too, none of this would have happened.” Sugou sighs, defeated. “He wouldn’t be laying here right now if I would’ve pushed back just a little bit harder.”

Akane studied him while he spoke. She noticed he kept his eyes on Gino’s face the whole time. “All of us are familiar with just how stubborn Ginoza can be.” She smiles fondly, remembering a couple of her own encounters with that same stubbornness.

She continues. “The danger involved on this particular assignment was minimal, Sugou. Even though he was drugged, Ginoza will wake up with nothing worse than some grogginess and a mild headache.” When he doesn’t respond, she says, “But that isn’t what’s bothering you, is it?” 

At this, his eyes widen slightly as he finally turns to look at her. “Sugou,” she says his name deliberately, “would you be sitting here, right now, if this had happened to anyone else besides Ginoza?” 

The silence stretches for an uncomfortable amount of time. That in itself, is answer to her question. 

Eventually, Sugou takes a breath to respond, when Ginoza’s eyes flutter and they both hear him groan softly. 

Sugou is immediately on his feet again, leaning over him as Gino struggles to open his eyes. Akane notices Sugou’s hand at last wraps around Gino’s own. “Ginoza?” He says in an alarmed whisper. “Can you hear me?” 

Akane also gets to her feet and waits for Gino’s eyes to open. When she sees a sliver of green, she smiles as Sugou exhales in relief. “Thank God,” she hears him say. 

“Sugou,” Gino says gruffly as he focuses his vision on him, before he sees Akane standing on his left. They make eye contact and smile fondly at one another. “Tsunemori,” he greets her as he attempts to sit up. Both she and Sugou assist him. Once he’s situated, he pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes tightly. “Owww,” he groans childishly, as if sensing the tension in the room, “the headache didn’t take long to kick in.” 

Sugou looks at him worriedly, but Akane simply continues to smile and asks, “How are you feeling?” 

“You mean other than like a complete idiot?” Ginoza quips dryly. He sighs as he rests his head back against the pillow. “About as well as can be expected after a goodnight kiss.” 

Akane nods. Sugou looks between the two of them, clearly confused. “What’s a goodnight kiss? Other than what I think it is?” 

Akane answers him. “It was a popular drug ladies of the night used back in the 18th and 19th centuries.” She pours a cup of water from a fresh pitcher sitting nearby and hands it to Gino, who takes it with an appreciative nod. “They would coat their lips in it and kiss a gentleman caller, usually a sailor or someone who was only in town for a few days, goodnight, effectively drugging them. Once their unknowing suitor was unconscious, they would rob them blind.”

“’Ladies of the night?’” Sugou questions. “What are those?” 

Gino takes a careful sip from his water. “Prostitutes.” 

“Oh,” Sugou says bashfully, taking his seat once again.

“An old method, but still effective,” Gino states. He sets his empty cup down next to the pitcher. “Most men wouldn’t report it as they didn’t want to admit to being drugged and robbed by a woman.”

“So, how did the women avoid getting drugged themselves?” Sugou questions. 

“They didn’t,” Gino answers. “Most of them built up an immunity over time,” here he turns his gaze back towards Akane, “which is what I’m guessing Nakamura did?” 

“Not quite,” Akane answers with a tilt of her head. “During his interrogation, Nakamura stated he was unconscious for about an hour before the two of you crossed paths.” 

Here she pauses before continuing. “Nakamura also stated you were to be his first victim of the night, Mr. Ginoza. Because of its effects and his limited supply, he was going to try to get at least two or even three people before the drug’s effects wore off.” 

Sugou curses, while Gino appears unfazed by her words. “Do we know where he was getting his supply from?” 

“Thanks to your toxicology report, Mr. Hinakawa is working on tracing its source as we speak. We should know by morning.”

She pats Gino’s leg and makes her way towards the exit. “Get some rest, Ginoza. You’ve earned it.

“Inspector,” Gino moves to get up. “I’m fine, really. I can-“

She cuts him off with a gentle raising of her hand. She had been expecting this from him. “You both did good work tonight. Please, take this time to collect yourselves.” She can tell Sugou is no longer listening. 

When she gets to the doorway, Akane gestures towards Sugou, focusing Gino’s attention on him. “Besides, I believe another matter needs your attention.” 

_Your night isn’t over just yet, Mr. Ginoza,_ Akane thinks bemusedly as she heads back towards the office. 


	4. The Heart of the Matter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short, but significant.

Ginoza isn’t sure what to make of Akane’s parting words to him until he turns his attention back towards Sugou. Now that he’s able to focus, he can clearly see the distress across the other man’s features. “Hey,” he prompts Sugou out of his thoughts, “you okay?” 

Sugou sighs heavily. “Why does everyone keep asking me if I’m all right? You’re the one in the hospital bed.” 

Gino frowns, not fully understanding where this is coming from. Sugou notices this and retracts his words. “I’m sorry, Ginoza,” he says, leaning back in his chair. “Evidently, I’m not any good at hiding how worried I am about what happened to you.” 

“You have no reason to be worried,” Gino shrugs, “ I never was.”

This brings Sugou up short. “What?” He asks disbelievingly, “Why not?” 

“Because I was never alone,” Gino states matter-of-factly. “Even when I realized I had been drugged; I knew I had nothing to worry about because the rest of you were right there.” 

“That’s not good enough!” Sugou exclaims as he gets to his feet. He throws his arms out at his sides as he argues, “So many things could have gone wrong, Ginoza! What if we lost contact? Or what if he hadn’t been working alone? What if we couldn’t find you? What if—”

“Hey, Sugou, hey,” Gino says soothingly as he puts his hands up in a placating manner. “You’ll drive yourself crazy thinking about all of the possible what-if scenarios. Believe me, I know.” His words don’t seem to do anything to calm Sugou down. Gino takes in his frazzled appearance. “What’s this really about?”

Sugou sighs tiredly. “I don’t know, Ginoza. Maybe I’m not so much worried as I am envious. Maybe what has me really upset was having to see Nakamura touch you, and then hear him kiss you. I can’t stop thinking about how much…” Sugou stops, biting his tongue. 

Gino feels his heart rate increase and the beeping of the monitor only confirms it. “How much what, Sugou?” Gino asks softly.

Something in Sugou finally seems to give in. He takes two steps forward, placing his hands on either side of Gino’s face right before he kisses him. 

It’s a chaste kiss, a simple pressing of his closed lips against Gino’s own. Gino freezes, unable to respond as Sugou’s lips move gently against his own. Almost immediately, Sugou is pulling away, ending the kiss as quickly as it began. 

Neither moves as they stare at one another. Sugou lowers his hands to his sides and takes a step back, his eyes on Gino the whole time. Once the shock of what just happened wears off, Sugou says, “I’m so sorry, Ginoza. I realize now I could not have picked a worst time to do that.”

Without blinking his eyes, Gino says softly, “I’m sorry, too.” 

Sugou pauses, confused. “Why are you sorry? I’m the one who kissed you.” 

“Because,” Gino still hasn’t moved, “this drug remains potent for up to eighteen hours from initial application. You may want to sit down.” 

Sugou laughs nervously. “Are you kidding? How can I possibly think to…whoa,” Sugou swoons on his feet. He runs the fingers of one hand over his lips, eyes already half-lidded. “On second thought, maybe I shou—”

But he doesn’t complete his sentence before he lands heavily in his chair, only to slide to his left and onto the floor, face-down and out cold. 

Gino still hasn’t moved. He presses his lips together, completely at a loss. So many thoughts are racing through his mind he has no idea where to even begin to sort them all out. 

Right before he presses the intercom to call for assistance, he looks over the side of the bed to the unconscious Enforcer and says, “Goodnight, Sugou.” 


	5. The Kiss Goodnight

It’s been two days since the incident in the Infirmary, and Sugou has yet to look Ginoza directly in the eye. He realizes how pointless it is, since he works and lives in close quarters with him, but so far he’s succeeded in speaking to him in a strictly professional setting only. Neither one of them has mentioned a word about what happened in the Infirmary. 

He’s too ashamed of how he reacted and his subsequent actions the night Ginoza was attacked. Thankfully, no one has said anything about his aloof behavior since then, even though he can tell it’s far from a secret by the glances the other members of Division One send his way.

He steals fleeting looks at Gino out of the corner of his eye, trying to gauge how he feels about what happened, but the man is impossible to read. The others must not be able to read him, either, as there is a definite tension in the air. Sugou’s not naïve enough to think the others don’t know what happened, since he himself had ended up in a hospital bed right next to Ginoza’s. However, when he regained consciousness hours later, Gino’s bed had been empty. 

Sugou has taken great care to avoid him outside of the office, going so far as to staying out of the communal areas, such as the gym and cafeteria. He even goes to another floor when he needs to use the restroom for fear of running into him. 

When he’s back in his quarters but can’t sleep, he spends his time in the hangar bay area. The other Enforcers don’t have the clearance to enter, but due to his prior experience as a pilot and drone mechanic, the Sybil System has granted him limited access to the area. He finds comfort in the cockpit of the helicopter the bureau utilizes on occasion, so that’s where he’s heading.

He scans his badge just outside the helicopter doors and they open automatically. He takes a seat in the pilot’s chair, looking out through the windshield before resting his head back against the seat and sighs exhaustively. His eyelids are heavy, but every time he closes them, all he can see is Gino’s startled face after he kissed him. It just starts the litany he’s been chanting to himself ever since all over again. _Sugou, you are such an idiot!_

He’s so engrossed with beating himself up mentally that he doesn’t know another person has joined him until he hears, “Pretty good hiding spot you have here, Sugou.” 

The unexpected voice causes Sugou to yelp in surprise. He’s immediately on his feet in a defensive position before he’s even aware of having moved. It takes his brain a second to register who’s sitting next to him. 

“Gi-Ginoza!” He stutters embarrassingly. He forces a startled breath from his lungs. “You scared the shit out of me! What are you doing here? Wait…” He pauses when he thinks of where they are. “How did you even get in here?” 

Ginoza grins at him with mild amusement. “You have special clearance from your experience prior to becoming a latent criminal. Did it ever occur to you that I would also get special clearance for the same reason?” 

“Oh,” Sugou says, his heart rate now back to normal. He sits down again. “No, but I guess I should have.” 

An awkward silence descends between them. Gino breaks it by saying, “So, this is where you like to come to think, I take it?” 

Sugou nods. “Yeah,” he answers, turning his eyes to the cockpit’s controls. “I feel comfortable here. This is what I know. If anything goes wrong here, I know how to fix it. I’m in control.” He lowers his voice, “Out there, in the real world, sometimes I don’t always feel that way, you know?” He is unsure if what he’s saying makes any sense.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Gino says solemnly. “The spot I go to when seeking refuge is the balcony. I find looking out at the city from such a great height is a good way to clear my head. I go there when I need to take a break from _me_ for a little while.” Sugou notices his eyes get a little distant when he says this. 

“Speaking of taking a break from me,” Gino continues, “you’ve been avoiding me.” 

Sugou sighs, recognizing this conversation as inevitable. “I have.” He sees no point in trying to deny it. He sits up in his chair and looks directly into Gino’s eyes. “Ginoza, I am so, so sorry I kissed you.” 

“You shouldn’t be. I’m not.” 

Sugou freezes, his eyes widening in surprise. He must have heard him incorrectly. “What did you say?” 

Gino smiles reassuringly. “I’ve had my eye on you for a while now, Sugou, but I didn’t think you were interested. If I’d have known all I needed to do was to get drugged for you to make a move, I would have done it sooner.” 

Sugou is still staring at Gino, mouth agape, incredulous. Eventually, he says, “I don’t believe this,” he says as he gets to his feet. Gino follows his movements with his eyes, a small coy smile turning up the corners of his lips. “I’ve been dropping hints for months, Ginoza! You never once showed any interest.” 

Gino smile fades. “You have?” 

“Tons of them!” Sugou throws both hands up in the air. “Are you telling me you never noticed how I always make sure to sit next to you in the paddy wagon? Or at the lunch table?” He lowers his hands and his voice. “What about the way I hang on to your every word? Or the way I look at you?” 

He pauses, his face sobering completely. “What about the excuses I come up with just to touch you?” 

Gino had been listening intently. He uncrosses his legs and gets calmly to his feet. “Sorry, but I’ve never been good at picking up on hints,” Gino acknowledges as he approaches Sugou. He gets within arm’s length of him. “I’ve always preferred a more direct approach.” He holds out his hand, his real hand, inviting Sugou to take hold. He is all too happy to oblige. 

Sugou looks at their hands for a moment before bringing his eyes back up to Gino’s. Emboldened by his advance and the physical contact, he says breathily, “Ginoza,” he swallows. He can feel his face heating up into a noticeable blush. “Will it be all right if I kiss you?”

Gino nods, his own face taking on a rosy tint. Sugou takes a deep breath and releases it. He leans forward slowly, until Gino’s lips are brushing against his. Unlike their first kiss, this one is slow and expected. He adds a bit more pressure, relishing the feeling. It’s still experimental, as they learn how each of them moves and tastes. Sugou makes note of just how soft Gino’s lips are as he presses them against his gently. He’s in such a state of disbelief at having Ginoza kissing him back his head feels light. 

They part after a few moments, still holding hands. Sugou takes a step back to see Gino more clearly. “Wow, Ginoza,” he says on an exhale, “are you sure that drug’s not still potent? Because I feel like I might pass out.”

Ginoza huffs a small laugh. Sugou laughs, too, before he’s stepping forward to wrap Gino into his arms in a joyful hug, pressing his lips against Gino’s once again. This time, their kiss is firmer and a bit playful, now that the tension between them has been broken. 

Gino pulls back after a moment and says, “My shift is starting soon. Can I see you after?” 

“Yes,” the word is out of his mouth before he’s fully aware of what Gino has just asked him. 

“How about we meet for breakfast in the cafeteria tomorrow morning. Eight o’clock?” 

Sugou nods wholeheartedly. Gino leans forward to steal one last kiss before exiting the cockpit. “I’ll see you then,” Gino says with a smile over his shoulder. “Goodnight, Sugou.”

Sugou raises his hand in a stunned wave, watching Gino until he is out of sight. He takes a moment to think about these new developments between him and Ginoza, still trying to wrap his brain around what all has happened in the past few minutes. He’s smiling so widely his cheeks start to ache. 

A lot of unbelievable things have taken place in a short amount of time. The most unbelievable, Sugou muses, is that it took a goodnight kiss to get a kiss goodnight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I did writing it. :)


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